Conventionally, there is a printing system in which plural user terminals, plural multi-functional machines (multi-functional peripherals (MFPs)), and a print server are connected to a network.
In a printing system of this type having a print server, a print job (including data for print) is sent from a user terminal to the print server and the print server temporarily stores the print job. After that, a user moves to a location where an arbitrary one of the plural multi-functional machines (hereinafter referred to as MFPs) connected to the network is installed. The user then accesses the print job stored in the print server from the control panel of the MFP and shifts the print job from the print server to this MFP to perform printing. In this printing system, a desired MFP can be selected from the plural MFPs to perform printing, which is convenient. For example, the user can print even with an MFP near a meeting room that is located far away from the user's seat. In addition, in the case of so-called private print, since print data is stored in the print server until the user accesses the print server by entering the user ID and password from the control panel of the selected MFP, higher security can be secured than in a type of private print in which print data is transmitted directly to individual MFPs from user terminals.
Meanwhile, many of today's MFPs have one or plural sleep modes. A sleep mode is an operation mode in which, while a network communication function and necessary functions to resume a normal operating mode from the sleep mode are maintained, other functions are stopped in whole or in part, thus realizing power-saving. Although depending on user's settings or the like, for example, if the MFP does not receive any print job for a predetermined period, the MFP automatically shifts from the normal operating mode to the sleep mode. In the normal operating mode, on receiving a print job, the MFP starts printing immediately as long as there are duplicate print jobs. However, when the MFP is in the sleep mode, the MFP needs a start-up period of a predetermined duration to warm up or the like in order to resume the normal operating mode from the sleep mode.
The above printing system using the print server is convenient because the user can select an arbitrary MFP to execute a print job. However, when the selected MFP is in the sleep mode, the MPF needs the start-up time to shift to the normal operating mode, causing an unwanted waiting time.
Thus, a printing system which generates little such waiting time is demanded.